Socceroos sweep past Taiwan to secure cup berth

Angela Habashy

Hong Kong: AUSTRALIA needed just over half an hour to secure its East Asian Cup berth with an 8-0 demolition of lowly Taiwan at Hong Kong Stadium on Sunday night. The top-placed Socceroos will now join Japan, China and host South Korea in the showpiece next July.

Adam Taggart, Richard Garcia and Aziz Behich all scored their maiden international goals, with Robert Cornthwaite and Aaron Mooy rounding out the scoring for the experimental Socceroos side.

Archie Thompson, who replaced Garcia in the 57th minute, twice came heartbreakingly close to equalling Damian Mori's all-time highest goal-scoring record for Australia, stinging the palms of goalkeeper Lu and denied by the woodwork moments later.